The Dodo Archive

How This Spectacular Google Glass Footage Saves Rare Rhinos

A video released today documenting how Google Glass technology can keep track of rhinos hands-free gives an extraordinary look at rhino conservation -- from the conservationist's point of view.

In February, WWF-Nepal tested out a new app developed by Google to help monitor and save the country's rhinos. Google Glass allows researchers to document data about wild Indian rhinos (which are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN Red List) without having to take notes. They record things like rhino size, sex, behavior, injuries and can even mark their location with GPS. The organization also uses technology like motion sensors to study tigers in the wild.

"The mission of saving nature and ourselves may sound overwhelming," says Sabita Malla, a senior research officer with WWF-Nepal. "But every observation we make, every tech we explore brings us one step closer to our larger goal of conservation. And this makes it all worth it.

This stunning video shows footage from WWF's campaign in Nepal, which is working to save the country's approximately 500 rhinos:

Technology has played an important role in Nepal's conservation successes including the recent success of a year of zero poaching. Innovative technologies have helped us to be more efficient and effective in implementing on the ground solutions to our most pressing conservation issues. Google Glass has the potential to bring greater efficiency to our field work in being able to record notes hands-free and quickly upload them for easy sharing.